Tank supporting cradle device



April 17, 1951 w s 2,549,554

' TANK SUPPORTING CRADLE DEVICE File July 11, 1946 WITNESSES vINVENTZOR:

12012010711. lVI/SO/Z BY @u (A TTORNEYS.

l atented Apr. 17, 1951 TANK SUPPORTING CRADLE DEVICE Ronald M. Wilson,Ambler, Pa., assignor to William M. Wilsons Sons, Inc., Lansdale, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 11, 1946, Serial No. 682,85

' This invention has general reference to means for the support ofliquid containers, tanks and drums such as are used for the storage ofgasoline, fuel oil and so forth. on farms; at construction jobs, and inother locations where portable means for such storage is notonlydesirable but expedient. Heretofore, such means have generally consistedof metal. tanks mounted on spaced runners or sleds rigidly attachedtothe tank, with associated means whereby the liquid can be pumpedtherefrom as needed or required. These runners or sleds are usuallymadeof angle-iron sections directly connected to the tank, or the like,by suitable support or cradles; while it is current practice to attachsaid cradles or supports to the tank at several points by welds forexample. However, as these tanks are frequently made of thin sheetmetal, and as the welded on skids transmit the weight of the tank, aswell as any strains occasioned incidental to moving the tank, to thebody shell mainly at the weld points only, it not infrequently happensthat such tank shell becomes disrupted ortorn when moving it from placeto place, with attendant loss of the content. Furthermore, the use ofcradles for supporting liquid containing tanks, not welded to said tanksbut secured in place by bands circumscribing each tankis known, beingstandard practice for railroad tank cars, as well as for gasolinetransport-. ing tank trucks. However, structures of the above referredto types have the disadvantage that sooner or later; under generalservice conditions the clamping band'becomes strained or loosened,-

with the obvious result that it does not properly serve its intendedpurpose, while it fails to efiiciently resist the load and weightstrains to which such tank trucks are normally subjected.

The fundamental object of my inventionis to overcome the foregoing noteddisadvantages in a simple and effective manner by providing acombination cradle and clamping-band device that includes tensioningmeans whereby the load of thetank proper is positively distributedthroughout the entire length of said clamping band and the centralportion of the cradle.

Another object is the provision of a device, such as specified in thepreceding paragraphs, wherein the forces resisting'the weight of thetank are wholly distributed round said tank and the associated cradleexcept negligible portions included within the actual supports ofsaidcradle.

Other objects, with ancillary advantages, of my invention, will beheerinaft'er manifest or suggested, as the'natur and purposeof saidinvention is revealed, by the following description and 9 Claims. (01.248-146) accompanying sheet of drawings wherein there is illustrated apractical and preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side view of a conventional gas storagetank equipped with thev novel supporting prehensively designates acylindrical gas tank which is conveniently made of thin sheet steel, inaccordance with prevailing practice.

Each cradle 4, which is preferably made of strip metal, embodies a pairof spaced bifurcate legs or supports 5, which are united by an arcuateconnection 6 embodying divergent end portions 1 conveniently, althoughnot essentially, opposingly-directed at angles of sixty-degrees relativeto the horizontal; It is to be also observed that the lower end portionsof the respective supports are turned outwardly to define foot-pieces8'and then continued vertical at 9, with the upper. free portions H! ofthe latter bent outwards to conform with the circumferential curvatureof the tank 3; while it is furthermore noticeable that the curvature ofthe connection 6 also correspondingly conforms to the cylindrical bodysurface of the tank shell. Angle-section skids l I are opposinglypositioned, as best seen from Fig.. 3, and are united to the legportions 8 and 9 by welds l2, whereby said portions 8, 9 are lengthwisecoordinated.

For attaching the tank 3 to the spaced cradles 4 use is made ofa bandelement l3, preferably of narrower width than the associated cradle 4,while each such element has its free ends conveniently shaped to defineangularly-contoured loops having one part l5 straight, for coaction withthe outer face of the relative confronting leg vertical 9, whereas theother, or substantially Z-shaped part 16 functions as a buttressintermediate the vertical 9 and the clamping band adjoining end, as wellas the associated over-lapping free portion in of the leg or support 5.To clamp the band element I3 inactive positionI employ tensioningelements or bolts I1 with associated lock-washers l8 and nuts 19, forsecuring said element to the respective legs or supports 5. The bolts llare engaged through aligned holes, 20, 2i and 22 in the respective partsI 6, l5, 9 and 1, preferably with the longitudinal axis of each saidbolt directed downwardly-inward at an angle of approximatelythirty-degrees to the horizontal for example, as readily understood fromFig. 2. It is also to be noted that the cradle divergent end portions 1and the web portions of the Z-shaped buttress parts [4 of the bandelements are approximately parallel when in active position which hasbeen found in practice to greatly enhance the stability of the structureas a whole, while positively preventing the cradle l and clamping band13' from working loose relative to the tank 3 when the latter is movedfrom place to place, or incidental to other vibrating influences.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent to those conversant withthe art that, incidental to the tensioning elements or bolts ll beingpart of the cradle 4 they serve not only to draw the clamping band downinto frictional binding engagement with the shell of the tank 3, butthat they likewise distribute the load of said tank evenly throughoutthe entire length of the belly-band or arcuate section 6 of theassociated cradle 4. It is also to be particularly noted that the weightof the tank 3, that tends to force the parts 7 and 9 of the respectivelegs apart at their upper ends, is positively resisted by the bolts 17which places the arcuate section 8 under tension, whereas the entirelength of the clamping band !3 is also under tension due to itsconnection at 20, 2| to said bolts, while the buttress portions N5 ofthe loops [4 positively resist any collapse of such loops underlocktightening as of the washers 18, by the nuts l8. It is to be furthernoted that the forces resisting the weight of the tank are thusdistributed substantially around the surface of said tank, where therespective bands 13 are contactively clamped, except for the negligiblearcuate portions intervening the parts I and 9 of the respective legs orsupports 5. This results in an infinitely better distribution of saidload than heretofore possible; or over that attainable when the cradlesi are rigidly made and consequently incapable of being subjected totension, as aforesaid. In other words, if the cradles 4 were of rigidformation, and the straps l3 merely served the purpose of keeping thetank 3 from rolling-01f said cradles,

the efiicient distribution of the tank load attained by my inventioncould not be accomplished.

While there has been particularly described and shown one practicalembodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that changes andvariations in the details of construction may be effected withoutdeparting from the spirit of said invention; while the device,obviously, may be provided with a hauling bail or yoke 23, asconventionally indicated in Fig. 1, for use and convenience in movingthe device about.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a tank supporting device, the combination of spaced cradles eachincluding a pair of bifurcate legs with an intervening arcuate section;associated clamping bands adapted to engage around the tank and havinglooped collapseresistive terminal-portions for coaction with the outerends of the spaced cradle legs; and tensioning elements engageablethrough and across the band loop portions and associated cradle bifuratelegs, whereby the clamping bands and intervening arcuate sections of thecradle are subjected to tension throughout the entire length thereof,for the purpose specified.

2. A tank supporting device, in accordance with claim 1 furtherincluding skid elements integrated to the relatively aligned footportions of the pairs of spaced legs. I

3. In a tank supporting device, the combination of spaced strip-likecradles, each embodying a pair of biiurcate legs and an interveningarcuate section with interspacially-related end continuations of saidsection; a clamping band, for each cradle, engageable about the shellportion of the tank and embodying suitably shaped loop-terminals forabutment against the outer ends of the associated cradle legs; andtensioning elements engageable through and across the loop terminals andbifurcate legs of the respectively associated cradle whereby the load ofthe tank is positively distributed throughout the length of the clampingband and cradle arcute' portions.

4. A tank supporting device in accordance with claim 3 further includingangle-section skids integrated to the relatively aligned leg bifurcationinner portions, and hauling means at one end of said skids.

5. A tank supporting device in accordance with claim 3 whereineach'cra'dle leg portion embodies an inclined and a straight section,with an intervening foot piece; and wherein the straight section upperend portion is curved, for the purpose specified.

6. A tank supporting device in accordance with claim 3 wherein eachbifurcate leg portion of the cradle includes an approximatelysixty-degree outwardly inclined portion, a vertical portion, and anintervening horizontal foot-piece; and wherein the upper terminalsection of the vertical portion is shaped to conform with the bodycurvature of the tank.

7. A tank supporting device in accordance with claim 3 wherein each loopterminal of the tank clamping band is of angular-contour, for thepurpose set forth.

8. A tank supporting device in accordance with claim 3 wherein each loopterminal of the tank clamping band includes a straight section forcoaction with the associated cradle leg confronting vertical, and asubstantially Z-shaped section serviceable as a buttress to effectivelyresist collapse of the loop terminal under tensioning of the clampingband about the tank.

9. A tank supporting device in accordance with claim 3 wherein eachtensioning element consists of a lock-bolt, and wherein said bolt passesthrough relatively inclined holes in and across the loop-terminal andassociated cradle leg, for the purpose specified. t

RONALD M. WILSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Brown May 22,

